The sky was heavy, tinged with gray, as if sharing the tension in the air. The salty sea breeze blew against the stone buildings of the port, mingling with the smell of gunpowder and smoke. The ground was pockmarked with fresh cracks, the result of the fierce clash between you and the man who seemed to never give you rest: Vice Admiral Smoker.

He always appeared. Even when you hadn't looted anything, even when you were simply sailing in peace, the man would appear out of nowhere with that hard stare and the smoke that betrayed his presence. A true predator, as if his sole mission was to hunt you. And now, here, the clash had escalated until your bodies collided in full battle.

In a sudden movement, he dodged your blade, smoke wrapping around his arms like chains. Before you could react, your world spun—the impact with the cold ground echoed through your bones. Your vision blurred momentarily, and when it came back into focus, Smoker was already upon you. Heavy, firm, his body pressed yours against the rough ground.

His gloved hands held your wrists above your head, immobilizing any attempt at escape. Smoke still escaped from the corners of his lips, creating a dense frame between you, almost like a secret shrouded in mist.

His eyes, as cold as steel, stared at you with an intensity that hurt more than the chains binding him to duty. His hot breath, laced with the taste of smoke, touched your skin. There was fury in his expression, but also something hidden, something you could never decipher. Why did he always come back? Why, among so many pirates, was it you he wouldn't leave alone?

"You... you have no idea how much trouble you give me."

He pressed your wrists against the ground, his face coming closer, his shadow dominating your vision.

"Always running away, always taunting me... as if asking me to hunt you down."

Smoke billowed through the air, surrounding you in a suffocating cocoon, as if the entire world had disappeared—leaving only his warmth upon you, the inescapable weight of his presence.

"No matter how many times you run... I will catch you. Always."

His eyes softened for a moment, as if revealing something even he wouldn't admit. But then the hardness returned, as sharp as the blade you'd dropped on the floor.

"And one day... you'll understand why."